We’re back from our voyage at the End of the World!

Last month, the husband and I had the great fortune of taking a last-minute trip to Antarctica with the luxury cruise line, Ponant. A life goal of ours has always been setting foot on all 7 continents, and Antarctica (obviously) is the most difficult one to reach, so this was really a dream-come-true for us.

How does one take a last-minute cruise to Antarctica?

Funny you should ask. A lot of moving factors had to line up just-right for us to be able to do this. We were actually looking for cruises for next year. We’ve been researching different ways to get to Antarctica, but we always kept coming back to a cruise. Surprisingly, that is generally the most affordable option that will actually get you to the mainland. (FYI: Air-cruises are prohibitively expensive and generally only get you to the South Shetland Islands.)

During our research, we came across a cruise for next year that was pretty no-frills and comparably affordable. The catch? We’d have to sleep in separate berths – with 3 other people in each room.

The conversation went something like this:

D: “I found a cruise, but we have to sleep in separate rooms.”Me: “What? Why can’t we just swap out with the other couple?”D: “It’s 3 other people in each room.”Me: “Uh…How much extra to just sleep in the same room?”D: “About an extra $3500.”Me: “See you in the morning.”

Kismet.

It just happened that my mom was already visiting us in Chile, so I told Dave to see if there was ANYTHING last-minute that we could hop on right away. We didn’t expect there’d be anything – it was totally just a whim. As it turned out – there were two! The only problem, however, is that my mom’s flight needed to be changed to watch our kiddo, and all cruises leave from Ushuaia, Argentina… Not an easy flight to book last minute. We grabbed the last flight available, and then hired our Nana to work every day while we were gone (she normally works 2 days a week) to provide extra help around the house. We quickly got my Mom set up with all the documentation she’d need – which involved drawing up Wills, Powers of Attorney, and all the legalese that generally takes weeks. Thank you to my Father-in-Law and the Embassy for getting that process done in, like, a day!

The Chinese Charter

We learned that the two cruises were both Chinese charters, and some berths either hadn’t sold or were recent cancelations. Only about 11 rooms remained on the cruise we selected. So we would have to move fast… and thus, we booked a last-minute luxury cruise to Antarctica… 2.5 weeks before it left. (At 70% off!) (Thank you, Freestyle Adventure Travel, for being so wonderful to work with!) We were assured that there would still be programs in English (or Spanish) and there would still be Western food available… Don’t laugh – it’s a valid concern when you’re on a ship for 2 weeks.

We don’t plan to fail. We only fail to plan. Or something.

As it turned out… among the other Westerners, Dave and I were the “planners” of the group. We had a whole 2-weeks-notice before going! Many of the Westerners on the trip arrived THAT DAY and went on an 11-night cruise to the Ice Continent with no more than the clothes on their backs.

Having been on major cruise lines before, we expected Formal Nights and “ship clothing” a la Royal Carribbean. Generally, I’m very good at packing. This time, I packed TWO EXTRA SUITCASES that we didn’t even open. Apparently, for an expedition cruise, nobody needs a gown. Noted.

Getting there.

So, turns out that last-minute flight to Ushuaia wasn’t exactly at an ideal time of day… Who would have guessed? We had to connect through Buenos Aires, except that we landed in one airport and had to take a bus across town to another airport. In case you were wondering… a 1:00am bus in Buenos Aires isn’t terribly reliable.

We DID make it in time, but we were also quite fortunate that we had a 4-hour connection. It was necessary. After sleeping in the airport in front of the Hard Rock Café… at 4:00am… with BLARING MUSIC even though the restaurant was closed… we boarded the plane to Ushuaia.

Setting Sail.

We were able to see our ship from the port in Ushuaia. But upon boarding – Oh. My. God.

We had seen photos, and even a documentary on Le Soleal, but in real life, the ship was breathtaking. It had all the accoutrements one would imagine (pool, restaurant, sauna, shoppette…) – but every single room even had its own private balcony. And world-class cuisine. And leather-trimmed lounges with 360 views of the sea.

We had expected to set sail that night… Only, it was a charter ship. The airline that had brought in the Charter passangers from China lost 30 rooms’ worth of luggage. Normally a cruise would just leave without bags – but remember, there were only 100 rooms of guests (more or less). 30% of passengers not having pants is a pretty big deal. So we waited. 14 hours.

As you may have guessed, 14 hours is a long time to make up on a cruise ship… particularly, when that ship has a two day crossing of the roughest seas in the world – the Drake Passage. Understandably, people were upset. But I felt pretty good when the ship staff told the “Westerners Group” that if we didn’t think we got our money’s worth, tell them once we reach Antarctica. That’s a pretty tall order! It was really nice to see they felt confident in their tour.

Two Days at Sea & Making New Friends

Once we set sail from Ushuaia, we began the long sea-crossing through the Drake Passage. No joke – it’s the roughest water in the world. A continuous current with no land mass along that latitude to slow it down means GIANT swells, high winds, and all-around rough seas. We had 15 meter (40′) waves coming up over the side of our 3rd deck balcony – and everyone was prohibited from going out on deck. While eating dinner on Deck Two, the swells were so high it appeared as though we were eating entirely underwater. Fortunately, the ship had great stabilizers. YES, you felt it. It was not as bad as it could have been though. (Then again, yours truly has had inner ear vertigo for years, so… pretty much normal for me. The ship, however, went through quite a supply of Dramamine in the first 48 hours.)

Turns out, once you’re trapped on a ship for 48 hours, even introverts like myself make quick friends. (Related: all drinks on the ship were free. See: introvert.) We hit the jackpot as far as fellow travelers were concerned! The other 19 English-speakers were all super-nice, hysterically funny, and all-around amazing company. (We even met up with some people we met in Antarctica this week, which is what reminded me I needed to write this blog post.) So happy to have met all of you!

Paradise Bay

After two days of rough waters – mostly spent eating the amazing food and attending fascinating wildlife lectures – the waters suddenly calmed. The ship pulled into Paradise Harbour and the water turned to glass. Moments later, one of the passengers ran inside to tell us there was a whale! We all ran outside to get a look at these two humpbacks nearby the ship. Then more passed by. Then a float of penguins. Then a seal. There was wildlife as far as the eye could see.

We took our first zodiac tour that day through Paradise Bay. Amazingly, we could pull right along side the wildlife without disturbing any of it. See that leopard seal above? That’s at 150mm.

Remember those whales from this morning? We came right along side a pod of feeding humpbacks – flipping their flukes, fishing for krill… all within meters of the zodiacs.

Lemaire Channel

That evening, the ship headed for the beautiful Lemaire Channel during sunset. The landscape is beautiful – giant peaks and mountains jutting directly out of the water. Although we couldn’t pass the entire way through (a giant iceberg blocked our way) we were able to enjoy a glass of champagne and watch the sun sink behind the icy crags.

Port Lockroy & Neko Harbour

The next day, we traveled to Port Lockroy. Port Lockroy is a penguin research base (operated solely by volunteers), which also boasts the southernmost Post Office & Gift Shops in the world. The base itself is filled with Gentoo penguins, which had recently hatched and were these adorable little sleepy puffballs, approximately only 8 weeks old.

Dave found a bottle of Shackelton’s Whiskey which we purchased because – hey, if you can buy a bottle of whiskey on Antarctica, why wouldn’t you?

In the afternoon, the ship pulled into stunning Neko Harbour. We took the zodiacs out through the ice to reach the glaciers, and then did a small hike to the lookout over the bay and the small Gentoo colony below. I could describe the sight, or I could just show you some photos below…

Dave Finds a Chinstrap Colony

On the next zodiac tour, we had the chance to go out with a guide and do a little exploring. Backing up a second, we bought a pair of binoculars in 2012. They have been used exactly once until this trip. On a whim, Dave decided to bring them for the zodiac cruise. Thanks to the 10x zoom, he spotted an entire colony of Chinstrap penguins (apparently, the most elusive penguins!) diving off a rock. The ship diverted all the zodiacs to check out his discovery.

Snow Dome

The next morning, after our daily wildlife lecture (Penguins!) we took a short hike past some Weddell & Fur Seals up to the Snow Dome. Honestly, DH and I were confused as to why we’d just be hiking up to see some snow, but it turned out to be a blast! Most of the English speakers on our tour were also checking off the same box we were – visiting all 7 continents. So we took tons of group photos with our Antarctica flags, had some good ol’ Antarctic snowball fights, and a great time enjoying the beautiful scenery. The photo at the beginning of this post (7th continent flag) is from here.

Sunsets

There was no shortage of absolutely incredible sunsets in Antarctica. Every single night, there was another majestic sky display. Unfortunately, I never changed the date in my camera, so I’m not particularly sure what night was what… The one directly above, I believe, is the 7th night?

One night, however, was a sunset so incredible people were literally moved to tears. From our balcony window, I saw an enormous (several stories tall) iceberg float by, set against a brilliant yellow and blue sky. The light refracted into bright oranges and pinks against the surface of the ice, and the teal waters turned into gold-flecked sapphire. Absolutely gorgeous.

As the iceberg floated away, the sunset turned deep purple… complete with breaching humpback whales playing in the distance.

South Shetland Islands

We made a detour, North, to the South Shetland Islands – namely, Robert Point – to visit the seal colony there. The island is home to hundreds of fur and elephant seals.

Remember I mentioned we had lectures every day? One such lecture was all about Pinnipeds. Turns out, Fur Seals are “earred seals” – and of the same family as Sea Lions. Their hip bones move in two directions. True seals – such as the elephant seals – only have hips that move up and down, making it impossible for them to “walk” on land like sea lions. Once you know this distinguishing factor, it’s pretty easy to tell them apart. Earred Seals walk. True Seals blob.

This fur seal is my buddy. He was super-interested in my camera, and kept following me around. We were warned against petting them, as their jaws can rip your hand off. But they look (and act) just like sea puppies! <3

I also found this neat rock.

And more Gentoos.

That evening, we passed this incredible iceberg that had entirely flipped over. The part visible is normally what’s underneath the water. The crew on the boat were ecstatic. Some said that in more than 20 years in Antarctica, they’d never seen an iceberg this remarkable. Looks just like a marble!

Sea Ice

The next morning, we went on a hunt for sea ice – which is way cooler than it sounds. You’d think that “hunting” for something that doesn’t move would be… dull. It is NOT!

Interesting fact about sea ice… It is salt water that has frozen. The salt drips down back into the water through its own desalinization process. Underneath the ice, this briney liquid is home to algaes. Algae attach to the ice. Krill eat the algae. Whales & Penguins eat the krill. Seals eat the penguins. Without sea ice, which acts as a giant reflector, the entire ecosystem would cease to exist.

The Captain of the ship woke us up at 5:30am to announce we had a spectacular sunrise over sea ice – again, complete with frolicking humpback whales and swimming chinstrap penguins. You know… from your bedroom balcony.

{On a related note – this is also why I travel to important places with two cameras. Overnight, we had a little bit of rocky waters, and my camera got bounced around inside the drawer (couldn’t keep it on a flat surface, for fear of falling.) I somehow damaged the light meter, and the above frame is a result of that. Fortunately, the second camera held out. Dave also realized the meter worked in P, but not Av or M… (and I only shoot in M & Av so…) As he was less emotional about a broken camera, he realized that a factory reset might fix the problem. It did, by the way.}

Ice Party

Later that day, we headed out to find a BIG ice floe. Like… reallybig. So big, that the entire ship, staff, & crew could all disembark for a big champagne party. And since it was a French ship, that champagne was served with some of the best macarons I’ve ever had.

To quote Dave: “These macarons taste like rosehips… and other things I never thought I’d say while standing on an iceberg.”

Adélie Penguins and the Weddell Sea

We headed over toward the Weddell Sea for our first look at Adélie penguins. Turns out – I’m a big fan of these penguins in particular! (As if that were a surprise to anyone.) So, enjoy these 8 billion photos of little black pinguinos.

This penguin is my spirit animal. She basically just screamed at all the baby penguins walking by for about an hour straight. “Get off my lawn!”

Next question I get asked is what we packed to bring with us. Answer: waaaay too much. The cruise line actually gave us (really nice!) parkas to keep, and boots were loaned out. Due to environmental reasons, it was required we only used the ship’s boots.

The first time we dressed to go outside it was a 30 minute process. We eventually got that process down to about 90 seconds!

For some reason, if you STILL want to see more photos, they’re on my Facebook personal page. Enjoy!

See 200+ More Photos

Antarctica has this mythic weight. It resides in the collective unconscious of so many people, and it makes this huge impact, just like outer space. It’s like going to the moon.

Jon Krakauer

If Antarctica were music, it would be Mozart. Art, and it would be Michelangelo. Literature, and it would be Shakespeare. And yet it is something even greater; the only place on earth that is still as it should be. May we never tame it.

Andrew Denton

Personal Branding is something I do a lot of here at the studio. This session was a little different though! Clare lives here in Chile, but her office is in the States. The rest of the legal team had their portraits done in Chicago (I think) and I was hired to match some existing photos… which were shot on location.

Ok, no problem. We’ll go on location? But no – the lighting in the middle of summer in Chile looks quite different than the lighting inside an office building in winter in the States. What we did here was create a mini-office right inside the studio!

The background is a large window in my studio, blocked off by curtain sheers. The desk? Oh yeah, that’s a camping table. Some props – my laptop (off, a mug, some pens)… and Voila! Instant Law Office of Clare B.

Oh yeah. One more thing.

We are also masquerading a beautiful 9-month Baby Bump!

Which means, once you get your work photos… then I get *MY* photos. *grin*

I may have requested (forced. strongarmed? Po-tay-to / Po-tah-to) her husband to get in some of these.

(in all honesty, he was very willing!)

I may have requested (forced. strongarmed? Po-tay-to / Po-tah-to) her husband to get in some of these.

Regarding Personal Branding…

Did you know the studio offers a MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION to Content Creation and Personal Branding for small businesses? We offer everything from Logo Development, to Social Media photographs, to headshots, to strategic marketing consultation. Prices begin under $500 USD per month.

It’s been busy around these parts! Finally getting around to sharing some recent(ish) shoots here.

This is Erin – one of our spokesmodels for Nido High School senior portraits. We did a double-session with her, both in studio (with Hair & Makeup by the always magnificient Catherine Cortinez) and then on-location on Cerro San Cristobal. Even her mom got in on the action! 🙂

My best friend is a fabulous copywriter, as well as a photographer. I had a block when trying to write a bio about Erin, so I enlisted Liz’s help. Just had to share it here too, because it’s absolutely beautifully written…

Meet Erin.

If you ask Erin what she does for fun, she will say, “Go out with friends, read, bake, and make art.”

That is such a tiny summary of a pretty full life. She does do all those things – but she does so much more.

She sees the beauty in the world. She sees the color in words, the poetry in painting. She’s studied art in school, and one day may study it in college. Or she may pursue it as a passion while her career follows a different path. She doesn’t know yet. She’s still a senior in high school – she doesn’t know all the answers. Yet.

She sees the beauty in people – in community. She spends her free time helping others in need. She works with orphaned children through Hogar Santa Maria, and orphaned pets with the Save the Strays Club. She helps grant wishes for the sick, which feels like magic. Meanwhile, behind the curtain she works with the student council. Because magic takes work.

Her future is ahead of her. After she graduates, she will be attending college on the mid-Atlantic coast, probably Virginia or the Carolinas. She will grow up. She will move away. She will do amazing things with her life. Because the beauty she sees in the world, the beauty she sees in other people — that beauty is inside of her. She shines.

It’s a quality that those who love her know very well.

And when she has spread her wings and flown around the world, her parents will look at her senior portraits and be reminded of how special she is, and how proud they are of her.

It’s a lot to ask of a portrait. But she shines. And her shine warms the world.

Well, this is exciting!

I always love a good mail day! Today I got my first IPC 50 Bar in the mail to add to my photography Bling. A 50 Bar is given for anyone who has earned 50(+) merits in International Print Competition. As you can imagine, it can take awhile. The absolute max you can earn in a year (per competition / PO vs Artist) are 8. Generally 2/3 earned per year is an average.

Lots of people get bars from service and continuing education, but being overseas I don’t get to attend a lot of seminars and conferences, and I get to speak/judge even less. That said, I never thought I’d hit 50 print merits before 50 CE Merits!

Guess it’s time to start working on the next 50!

“What else are we looking at?”

Well, I’m glad you asked! The danglies shown are my Master of Photography (M.Photog.) and Master Craftsman (Cr.Photog.) degrees – which is why the ribbon is both blue and gold. Someday that might change to Blue, Gold, and Red… Anyway, the triangles are the Photographer of the Year Medallions, and my Certification Pin and Certification Liaison Pin.

Not pictured are a bunch more Medallion Pins, my American Society of Photographers Pin, and my Member 10 Year pin from PPA.

Finally getting around to sharing these images! I absolutely love this shoot (and these people, omg.) We had a blast, and I loved photographing this split session – half in-studio and half in beautiful Bellavista (Recoleta) Santiago. Hair and makeup was done by La Pelu salon underneath where the studio was located.

I adore this one of the girls and this bright yellow door. Big fan of playing with color.

My favorite location during the shoot. Those turquoise walls with the jeans and Lindsey’s shirt are perfection. Deep brown wood against the hair? Love it.

Bellavista is known for its street art so we HAD to do a family portrait against this. Unbeknownst to me, this was apparently the back side of a public bathroom (I was across the street shooting) so they were especially good sports to tolerate this shot. I had no idea!

More fabulous street art. The girls were such troopers to climb up on everything I told them to. And also, grateful their parents didn’t kill me.
“Here, girls, go move that trash and climb up on this rickety wall!”

The awesome contrast of the funky, saturated street art against how elegant she looks, I just love. Beautiful color, gorgeous woman, perfection.

I rarely get to show a full shoot – I make a conscious effort to only show what a client takes home. But for this double-session we ended up putting together a gorgeous metal wall collage and an album of every image from that day. So, without further ado, please check out how a whole session looks from start-to-finish!

This was printed on my new Riveli Amber Album series (what you’re seeing here is for the website only) but Oh. My. God. these albums are gorgeous. Beautiful black leather with thick enamel-lined pages. Just stunning. (They’re priced similarly to the large folio box for those wondering.)

About the Studio in Vitacura Closing…

Sadly, La Pelu Salon closed their doors and the new owners did not want to sublet their space to a photographer. It’s a bummer, but I understand it’s just business that they had to sell their operation. I can refer Claudia’s contact information to any of her hair clients as well!

For now, I’m working from home (same as for the last 14 years) and – even though it’s cramped – the area is functional. I bought a new clothing rack which can be rolled into the hallway, and that has been a life-saver! Plus, the world’s best Hair & Makeup artist works with me (Catherine Cortinez) so of course that service is still available – and included – for all portrait sessions.

Fear not.

The studio is open. Only the location changed.

There’s also great green spaces nearby to work, and – I just realized this today – a built-in baby pool outside. Pool shoots anyone? Seriously. I need at least 2 models so, let me know. (One of you will be in an adult-sized mermaid tail, though, so… yeah, you’ve been warned.)

…That said, if anybody has any leads on (affordable) potential studio spaces in and around Vitacura, especially Alonso de Cordoba, please give me a heads up! Looking to sublet only, and I need at least 30’x12′ for an adequately sized camera/sales room. I’d prefer a place with high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows (or 1 window), clean, second floor, a/c & heat. And a unicorn to ride every day.

I will be back for a few days in September and cannot wait to see you all again! I am scheduling a limited number of sessions to update your pet portraits. Of course, your kids and families are more than welcome to join in the fun! Preference is to past clients, but I will happily make time for your friends and referrals. I’ll be borrowing the fabulous studio of Liz Vance in Arlington, VA for a few days.

If you are ready to have your portraits scheduled, please use the booking module below. The $50.00 USD fee is to reserve your session time, but it is a deposit toward your purchase. You will be credited $50.00 back toward your order. Because of the limited number of availability, there is a $250 minimum investment requirement.

Looking forward to seeing you all soon! September 20-24, 2018

Sincerely,Stephanie

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The Metal Print and Canvas Cluster are new items! The images above are direct from the vendor website.

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See You Soon!

WARNING: Long Post Ahead!

Another year of Print Competition is in the bag. As always, my favorite thing to do is watch the competition Live (well, Live online) with my friends, guess the scores, gripe about what I disagree with, and watch everyone’s scores roll in. My Facebook feed is filled with stories of love and loss and sorrow 79s and magical unicorn 100’s. (We also refer to these as “The Red X of Infinite Sadness” and “The Green Checkmark of Eternal Happiness.” Photographers are dramatic like that.)

As for my own results, I can say – not too shabby! I entered 2 cases this year (for the second year in a row) and all 8 of my prints merited, with two being accepted into the prestigious Loan Collection – 1 from each case. That gets me two shiny new Silver Photographer of the Year medallions – a.k.a. “Double Silver.”

For emphasis: DOUBLE SILVER

As you guys know, I try to make personal goals for each year’s image competition, and whenever possible, I only use new pieces. Unfortunately, this year, Northeast District kind of snuck up on me, and I really had to rush to pull my case together. (Add insult to injury – the day after I uploaded it, they extended the deadline by about 2½ weeks but I was on vacation anyway so didn’t get any extra time…) Because of the rush, I tried to pull together newer work at an 80 or above level for my Photographic Open case and instead put all my focus into my Artist case. This kind of worked, since 3 of my 4 images sealed (merited) in each case, but I’m glad I got to re-work/re-enter since the new 4th images were the ones that did the best.

Without further ado, here are this year’s entries (including the one above.)

Waterfront Parking scored an 80 at Northeast District and sealed for Merit at IPC. Honestly, it probably shouldn’t have. I see things now that could have been changed. Like I mentioned – this case was assembled in a rush! This was taken in Madeira (Funchal), Portugal during our cruise last year.

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It’s Bigger on the Insidescored an 80 at Northeast District and sealed for Merit at IPC. This one was shot in San Pedro de Atacama. Not much to say about it. It was a cool door so I took a picture.

***

Bewitched scored an 81 at Northeast District and sealed for Merit at IPC. It’s a simple (and, admittedly Safe) image for Print Competition of a well-lit studio portrait of a pretty woman. Either way, I really love it – it’s one of my favorite portraits. This is Natalie, our studio manager who has since moved back to the States to pursue bigger and better things.

***

Llama Vista was what we call “Case Filler.” 10pm the night before the late entry deadline, I still couldn’t think of anything to enter. So I uploaded a private gallery on Facebook to ask a few friends their opinions, and they picked this one. I was like, “Really? But, it’s just a random view of Chile. It’s not even the right time of day!” This image has virtually nothing done to it, except a little tonal contrast. I couldn’t even think of a name so the title “Llama Vista” I can’t even take credit for. Long story short, I’ll be crowd-sourcing my images next year, since this one is one of my highest-scoring images ever. It scored a 92 and then was accepted into the LOAN Collection!

Two notes.

First: These aren’t llamas – they’re vicunas. (With an Enye, but I can’t get this GUI to make the squiggly-N character.)This was taken in the Altiplano of the Atacama desert (near Guatin) and I made Dave pull off the side of the road as my sisters-in-law and I ran out of the car to get this shot. Vicunas are in the north of Chile. Guanacos are in the South. Last year’s comp image was Guanacos. Alpacas are domestic and in Peru. Llamas, maybe. Camels are the only camelid not native to South America. Impress your friends with your new-found knowledge.

Second Note: I got to watch this image be judged live. It was challenged by one of my favorite people on the planet to go to the Superior category. And then it was judged by another one of my favorite people for Loan. Neither of them knew it was my print, of course – everything is done blind. But it was fun to watch!

ARTIST CASE

This was my second year entering the Artist competition. Last year I took an oil painting class and really enjoyed the manual/tactile experience of working with paint. Unfortunately… oil paints and turpentine don’t really mix well with a toddler. (Also, I spent about half my concentration trying to think/speak in Spanish vs. concentrating on the piece… but I’d definitely go back to that class if I had the time or childcare!)

Anyway, I wanted to merge my newfound love of oils to Photography. Not necessarily for anything for clients or as a possible revenue stream – just kinda started doing it because I liked it. I took a Photoshop painting class while pregnant (with the aforementioned Favorite Person in the World) and really had a blast. Then, in April, I took a week-long Fine Art Photoshop course to further advance the new skill-set. (Another one of my favorite people was the instructor. I have a lot of favorite people who are photographers, clearly.) None of those techniques made the case, but I did develop and refine these kaleidoscopes I started last year.

Vortex scored an 80 at Northeast District and sealed for Merit at IPC. The original capture is the interior of Saint Chappelle Cathedral in Paris – most magnificent windows! The initial exposure was turned into an HDR image, then a polar distortion was applied in Photoshop. Then I made a clipping mask using the gold element, and turned that selection into a kaleidoscope. From there, a little twisting, warping, spiraling turned the image into a… welll… Vortex. Hence the title.

***

The Aztec Talisman scored an 82 at Northeast District and sealed for Merit at IPC. Similar to the technique above, the initial capture was an old exposure from the Jeronimo Monestary in Lisbon, Portugal. Add in some polar distortion, and some shape masking, and some gold leaf, and voila!

I heard this one judged a few months back and the judges were raving about the faces. Swear to God, I never noticed them until the judges pointed them out! I mean, I titled it “Aztec Talisman” because that’s immediately what popped into my head – something about it looked Mesoamerican. So maybe I did notice? That’s why I love these pieces though – interpretive.

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Closing Time in Kennebunkport Is a re-work of an image I entered last year which crashed and burned. (Ok, fine, it got a 79 last time.) There were a few flaws that needed to be cleaned up, and a bigger transformation needed to be seen to get it to merit. Happy to say that it ended up at an 81 this time around. This was taken in Kennebunkport, Maine and I just thought it was the coolest little shop vignette!

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HAILEY

Most of you already know this, but we were truly heartbroken when our little girl, Hailey, crossed the Rainbow Bridge in March. I was in NJ, and Dave was here – I tried to get back to Chile as fast as I could, knowing how sick Hailey got, and how quickly it was happening. Dave was with her – but even with moving my flight up, she passed away while I was in the air. She had an undetected autoimmune disease which masqueraded as an upset stomach, or a weight problem or delicate skin for far longer than we knew. One of the issues with moving so often is long-term medical issues go unseen until they’re too late. Surprisingly, the type of autoimmune disease she had has a life expectancy of 8-9 years. She lived 14 years.

Irony. Or, “Do As I Say, Not As I Do.”

Before I left, I had promised I’d do a 14 year birthday photo of Hailey, Mr. Dracula, and JEM. I kept putting it off for various reasons.

The studio was a wreck. Little One needed her nap. Hailey needed a groom. Cat was being… a cat.

I never shot the image I wanted. Keep that in mind – I have a studio IN MY HOUSE with the two best pet-models in the world, and a surprisingly willing toddler… and I still didn’t make the time. I’d promised myself I’d do a birthday portrait as soon as I got home in March.

I never got to see Hailey after her 14th birthday.

Trying to Fit In was shot almost a year ago. Catbeast is 4, Little One is about 1½, and Hailey is 13½. The adorable unicorn sweater was something I picked up for $4.00 in Marshall’s on Clearance. (I do love me some discount clothing shopping…) Yes, that’s their real expressions. The title was picked by a friend – I really was at a loss for what to call this, but “Trying to Fit In” really worked.

I did enter this image at Northeast, but it didn’t merit. It got a 78, I think? But I ordered a critique and got really great advice on how to fix it – the toes were originally dark, and the texture on the sweater was lacking… I don’t remember everything, but the advice was good.

While I’m invested in all my competition prints, clearly this one had more meaning that the others. So listening to the image score an 82 out of the box was amazing.

And then… “Challenge.”

Sonuvabitch. Leave it as an 82! C’mon, don’t do this to me… I was watching online with friends who were equally enraptured and/or enraged.

“I had this in the next category at an 87” Wait, what? You’re challenging it… UP?

Then the judge (Larry, actually – I can always tell his voice.) spoke for the image – about their expressions, and relationship, the color harmony used, the technique employed. {I may have wept.} Just about the only negative given was that the cat was slimmed down… and in Mr. Dracula’s defense – he’s just big-boned. It’s pretty amazing when the judges “get” your work.

The judges settled in the Excellent category at an 86.

And Loan.

Since it didn’t seem right to write this whole blog without a proper send-off to Hailey, this is a video we put together of her. It’s a little long, but – it’s 14 years after all. I hope you enjoy it.

I figured I’d share a few photos of a recent trip to Buenos Aires. We spent a few days there, enjoying the culture and photographing the street art (ok, that last part was just me, mostly.) Enjoyed some great food, and – thanks to the conversion rate – Argentina is surprisingly affordable right now! Highly recommend!

Hope you enjoyed your little mini-tour of Argentina!

We’ve moved!

Yes, it’s true… Stephanie Millner Photography has a new studio space in beautiful Vitacura, Santiago. You can find us above the always fantastic La Pelu Salón, on Calle Manquehue Norte, 1760. That means there’s a whole team of stylists and makeup artists right downstairs to ensure you look your best during your shoot!Read More

Are you ready to take your photography to the next level? Perhaps you’re just a little nervous of playing with all those dials and buttons? This one-day class will teach you the ins-and-outs of how to use your camera.